Malcolm 'Flash' Gordon

Discussion in 'Classic Boxing Forum' started by My dinner with Conteh, Oct 22, 2008.


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  1. My dinner with Conteh

    My dinner with Conteh Tending Bepi Ros' grave again Full Member

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    He has to be one of my favourite boxing people that I know little about. Of course, his work uncovering The Ring magazine ratings scandal (with Alex Wallau) I know of and the fanzine he wrote from his bath tub, make him a small legend in my book. Anyone know what he's up to nowadays? Or meet him at the fights in the 1980s? Or know where can I get hold of some of his material?
     
    My dinner with Conteh, Oct 22, 2008
    My dinner with Conteh, Oct 22, 2008
    #1
  2. McGrain

    McGrain Diamond Dog Staff Member

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    Can you summarise the Ring ratings scandal for me?
     
    McGrain, Oct 22, 2008
    McGrain, Oct 22, 2008
    #2
  3. My dinner with Conteh

    My dinner with Conteh Tending Bepi Ros' grave again Full Member

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    Quick one, as i'm going to bed in a minute (i'll carry on in work tomorrow if you need more :D):


    King, ABC, Ring set up tournament to find 'America champs', a few top fighters were entered but on the proviso that King ha doptions on futute fights (in cahoots With Al Braverman and Paddy Flood).Many said 'no', including Hagler, who was then replaced by Johnny Baldwin- who he'd easily beaten. Some good fighters were taking part: Holmes, Willie Monroe, but more than half the tournament were stiffs.


    Flash Gordon realised their records had been added to by Johnny Ort (Ring writer and in charge of the ratings, who was getting back handers from King). Gordon teamed up with Alex Wallau, then just joined staff at ABC (i think) to discover that loads of the fights were faked- and, amongst other things, they found them in appearing in the Ring Record Book of 1977, when they hadn't previously appeared.

    Many of the decisions were awful too, like the one Scott Le Doux lost then went on national telly to tell the audience what a phoney it all was- and knocking off Howards Cossell's 'syrup' at the same time. :D

    ABC scrapped the tourney before the final fights could take place (like Larry vs Stan Ward) and realised what a hoax it was. Gordon renamed King and Ort "Dung King" and "Johnny Bought". Mark Kram too had written of the legitimacy of the competition in Sports Illustrated and it looked like Wallau might be sacked, but Kram was accepting suspicious brown envelopes also- and he was fired by the magazine.
     
    Last edited: Aug 1, 2023
    My dinner with Conteh, Oct 22, 2008
    My dinner with Conteh, Oct 22, 2008
    #3
  4. kenmore

    kenmore Boxing Addict Full Member

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    In 1976-77, Don King cooked up a scheme to promote a US national championship tournament that would be broadcast live over ABC television. The whole point was to strengthen US boxing by creating national champions.

    According to King, the best available American boxers in each weight class would be invited to participate in the tournament. But this didn't happen in actuality.

    What did happen is that King ignored all leading American boxers who were not contracted to Don King Promotions. He didn't even send them invitations. Instead, he filled the tournament with his own contracted boxers and a bunch of unknown, unqualified clubfighters.

    In order to get credibility for the unknown clubfighters (many of whom were just six and eight round fighters who had no national stature at all), King conspired with Ring Magazine to get the clubfighters high rankings in Ring Magazine's national ratings. It was complete corruption. King also conspired with Ring Magazine to create fake records for some of the clubfighters.

    Flash Gordon helped to expose what a fraud it was for all these unknown, unqualified clubfighters to be getting top national rankings in order to participate in King's tournament. The result of was a scandal for Ring Magazine, and the scuttling of the US championship tournament by ABC television.

    Thus, the national tournament was not really a legitimate tournament to crown valid national championships. It was just a promotional gimmick for King to showcase his best prospects against unqualified opponents.
     
    kenmore, Oct 22, 2008
    kenmore, Oct 22, 2008
    #4
  5. mr. magoo

    mr. magoo VIP Member Full Member

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    Sounds like he did boxing a great service........Hale Flash!!!!!!!! Savior of the Universe..........



    This content is protected
     
    mr. magoo, Oct 22, 2008
    mr. magoo, Oct 22, 2008
    #5
  6. Loewe

    Loewe internet hero Full Member

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    That´s actually one of my favourite movies. :yep
     
    Loewe, Oct 23, 2008
    Loewe, Oct 23, 2008
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  7. kenmore

    kenmore Boxing Addict Full Member

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    Does anyone know whatever became of this guy...is he still alive? Where is he today? People connected to him say they last saw him hanging around fights in the mid-80s. He is a mystery.

    Malcom "Flash" Gordon was supposed to be a real character. He was just 27 years old when the Ring Magazine ratings scandal broke in 1977. He was described in SI as some kind of "beatnik, pothead...with body odor to boot."

    Does anyone know Gordon's whereabouts?
     
    kenmore, Jun 30, 2009
    kenmore, Jun 30, 2009
    #7
  8. zadfrak

    zadfrak Boxing Junkie Full Member

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    a recluse in NYC.
     
    zadfrak, Jun 30, 2009
    zadfrak, Jun 30, 2009
    #8
  9. kenmore

    kenmore Boxing Addict Full Member

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    How do you know this? What's your source of information? All other insiders are claiming they haven't seen him in years.
     
    kenmore, Jun 30, 2009
    kenmore, Jun 30, 2009
    #9
  10. JohnThomas1

    JohnThomas1 VIP Member

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    Ahhhhh, used to read him lots. Great character.
     
    JohnThomas1, Jun 30, 2009
    JohnThomas1, Jun 30, 2009
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  11. klompton

    klompton Boxing Addict banned

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    Hes a recluse, no one knows what heppened. There have been rumors for years of him driving a cab in the city but no one really knows. Ive spoken to people who close to him in an effort to try and find him and even they hadnt heard from the guy in years. He was always a bit strange...
     
    klompton, Jun 30, 2009
    klompton, Jun 30, 2009
    #11
  12. GPater11093

    GPater11093 Barry Full Member

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    sorry to go off a bit

    but didnt Wallue end up as head of ABC
     
    GPater11093, Jul 1, 2009
    GPater11093, Jul 1, 2009
    #12
  13. Mendoza

    Mendoza Hrgovic = Next Heavyweight champion of the world. banned Full Member

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    Malcolm Gordon was very fond of Jersey Joe Walcott. In fact he felt Walcott on his best night was the 3rd best heavyweight of all time. I used to think, what is this guy smoking! After reading your description of him, now I know.
     
    Mendoza, Jul 1, 2009
    Mendoza, Jul 1, 2009
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  14. klompton

    klompton Boxing Addict banned

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    Yes Alex Wallau became head of ABC or CBS (cant remember which). You would have thought he would have made an effort to bring boxing back to network television but...
     
    klompton, Jul 1, 2009
    klompton, Jul 1, 2009
    #14
  15. Duodenum

    Duodenum Boxing Junkie Full Member

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    Many of my most explosive rants on ESB Classic were rip-offs of the sort of tirades Flash would sometimes go off on. (Of course all of you who read "Tonite's Boxing Program" already know this.)
     
    Duodenum, Jul 1, 2009
    Duodenum, Jul 1, 2009
    #15
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